Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
I think every home cook has secret ingredients when it comes to the perfect fuel and perfect wood
type. In fact, one of the benefits of smoking your own meat is so you can control what type of
chemicals your meat is exposed to. There's no reason to use charcoal with starter chemicals added
to them, and certainly be careful not to use gasoline or other homemade starter fluids to kindle the
fire.
Different kinds of wood chips and wood chunks create different flavors of smoke. Common woods
that are good for smoking are hickory, maple, mesquite, or other hard woods. Do not use soft
woods such as pine, because they produce creosote and aren't as suitable for high-quality smoking.
Creosote will give the meat a bitter taste and actually numb your tongue when you eat the meat.
Creosote is also a fire hazard if it builds up in the smoker, which is an important reason to keep the
smoker clean.
Start your fire and have water in the pan. Some chefs like to put wine or beer in the water pan
to enhance the flavor of the meat. The meat you add to the smoker should be thawed, as the low
temperatures of the smoker won't thaw the meat quickly enough to be safe. Your smoker tempera-
ture should stay above 225°F to 250°F. The meat itself should be cooked thoroughly until a meat
thermometer registers at least 145°F to 150°F for beef, venison, and pork roasts. According to the
USDA, ground meats should be cooked to a temperature of 160°F, while poultry should be cooked
to 165°F.
As with jerky making, you can marinate meat in a refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours before smoking.
One of the most well-known cures for meat may be the classic pineapple and brown sugar, or salt
and brown sugar treatments for smoked ham. Whether you decide to marinate the meat before
smoking or not, remember to use common safety guidelines. Keep your meat cool in the fridge
until you're ready to heat it.
You can smoke a wide variety of meats. Even meats that are hard to grill, like fish fillets and
chicken legs, can be smoked. Most common cuts, however, are items like brisket, ribs, and pork
hams. Experiment with changing the flavor of the meat cures as well as the type of wood you use
to see what you like best. After you start smoking your own meat, you'll probably never buy BBQ
meat in a restaurant again.
